Sapphire vs Mineral Crystal, what are the pros and cons of both materials?

If you are a watch enthusiast, then you have probably heard of many of the different materials that make up a high-quality watch. In this article, we will examine two of these materials, which are used to protect the face of Bering Watches. They have very different standards and effects when you use them in a watch. The first material is sapphire glass crystal and the second material is mineral crystal. Chemically, they have different physical properties, which means they perform their role very differently even though they look almost identical.

How do you test the strength of the Glass Crystal?

The first thing you need to know is the difference between the two materials. They are both a type of crystal glass, but they have different standards for strength. The industry tests crystal glass by dropping a small metal ball on the glass from a variety of heights. Then the testers measure how high the ball was when the crystal glass breaks: this calculation lets the testers know how much kinetic energy the glass can absorb before breaking.

Sapphire crystal glass must be able to absorb between 800 to 1800 newton-meters of force. Mineral crystal has higher standards: it has to absorb at least 1600 to 2100 newton-meters.

Sapphire Glass Crystal is extremely resistant to scratches

Sapphire glass crystal is a beautiful material. The primary advantage of sapphire glass crystal is the fact that sapphire glass crystal is extremely resistant to scratches. The material is rated at a 9 on the MOHS hardness scale. This is a scale used to measure the hardness of rocks, minerals, and similar materials. Testers check materials by scratching them against each other. If a material can scratch other objects without getting scratched in return, it moves up on the scale.

The 9 rank puts sapphire glass crystal just below diamond, making it one of the toughest materials in the world. That means when it brushes or smacks against rock, wood, metal, and other incidental surfaces, a sapphire glass crystal watch is highly unlikely to scratch. This kind of glass crystal is so strong that watch brands frequently add "scratch resistant" to product descriptions to indicate the presence of the crystal. This is important, because a watch face needs protection from the various jolts and bumps of everyday life.

Sapphire Glass Crystal can shatter easier then a Mineral Crystal

Using sapphire glass crystal does have some downsides, however. First of all, as is clear from the ball drop test, sapphire has a significantly lower ability to absorb direct hits than mineral crystal. It will break more easily in the face of a blow or a knock. In other words, while the material is better at not showing wear and tear from incidental contact, it is more likely to catastrophically fail and shatter. Depending on where you work, this may or may not be a problem for you.

Sapphire glass crystal also tends to be reflective. It is common for manufacturers to put a layer or two of anti-reflective coating on the surface. However, this AR layer or layers can get scratched easily. These scratches will appear in the front of the watch. It is possible to fix them with careful work, but it is irritating to have to deal with scratches on a material that is not supposed to scratch. Note that it is only the coating that scratches: the underlying issue is that the watch will look scratched even though it is not.

Mineral Crystal are stronger against direct blows, making them a great material for sports and construction.

It should be clear right away that mineral crystal is the complement to sapphire crystal glass. That means in this case that it is a much stronger material against direct blows. It can withstand more force without shattering. That is especially useful in applications like sports and construction where there might be heavy blows or collisions taking place. A mineral crystal layer will protect a watch face in situations where a sapphire crystal glass one would fall short.

Furthermore, mineral crystal is not reflective in the same way that sapphire crystal glass is. That means there is no need to get a layer of anti-reflective coating, which means no phantom scratches. That adds to the overall quality of the watch's appearance. It also tends to affect the price, because you do not need to pay for that extra layer. being able to take a hit during, say, a camping trip is what distinguishes mineral crystal due to its sheer toughness.

Mineral crystal scratch easily compared to a sapphire glass crystal

The primary reason to avoid mineral crystal is the fact that it gets scratches much more easily than sapphire glass crystal. In most normal use, it is the glancing blows which occur with the greatest frequency. That means being scratch resistant is a more important attribute than being shatter resistant. Of course, again, this varies from person to person based on how you are using your watch.

There are a lot of normal activities with watches that can potentially cause scratches, like holding the watch face down on a surface to change the band. However, many of these are avoidable with care and forethought. If you are more gentle with your watch and aware of surfaces that might scratch it, then the lower scratch resistance might not come into play at all.

Some watch owners also find that the mineral crystal surface has a "plastic" feel, and lacks the sophistication of sapphire glass crystal. This is purely a matter of perception and has no bearing on the performance of the watch, but try to compare the look and feel of both materials so you are comfortable with what you get.

Sapphire glass crystal does a better job protecting Bering Watches from scratches, so they will look good for as long as possible. It is only in the area of big blows that might shatter the sapphire where the material comes in second place. Considering the rarity of those situations, sapphire glass crystals should be your default choice.

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